


Break In

by rusherNparadise



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Frank Castle - Freeform, Is there angst?, Netflix The Punisher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 17:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14289783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rusherNparadise/pseuds/rusherNparadise
Summary: Frank startles the reader by his surprise appearance after a late night in Hell’s Kitchen.





	Break In

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to anyone reading! Surprisingly it hasn’t been months since I’ve written and I’m already posting something again! It is Frank again, what a surprise, right? Fun Fact: I’ve actually had half of this written since about November when I finished TPS and couldn’t really figure out how to finish it. But recently I’ve really been feeling the urge to write, so here it is, finally finished! Hope you all enjoy and please feel free to send in any prompts or ideas you’d like to see written! :)
> 
> Prompt: “I’d like it if the next time we met you didn’t have pointy things so close to my face.”

I release a frustrated sigh, rubbing my tired eyes as I look away from the piece I was currently attempting to edit. I glance over at the alarm clock on my nightstand, the blaring red numbers reading 1:45 a.m. I was about three-quarters of the way done with a novel I promised a friend I would read over. I mean, it is kind of what I do for a living and any other time I love it, just not at 1 a.m. when I have a shit ton of other work I should be doing. I run my fingers through my brunette fringe, brushing the wavy strands away from my face as I struggle to focus on the text. I close the document, shutting my laptop and reaching over to my nightstand to grab my empty glass.

 

I fan my face with my other hand, the temperature in my apartment almost unbearable even though I had most of the windows open and all the fans running. Living in an apartment with no a/c was not ideal for someone who enjoys cooler temperatures. I climb off of my bed, the oversized t-shirt I was wearing completely covering the cloth shorts I had on underneath as I walk through the dark hallway connected to the kitchen. I keep the lights off as I walk, the light being more of an annoyance than help at this hour, as I opened the freezer to fill my glass with ice and bring the glass to the sink to refill it with water.

 

Just as I’m about to take a drink, anticipating the icy cold liquid hit my tongue, I see a vivid shadow and the movement of my living room window frame being pushed upwards. I freeze momentarily, the edge of the glass resting on my bottom lip and keep my movements as slow as possible as I set the glass on the counter. My eyes stay focused on the one window right next to the fire escape, as a rather large form carefully crawls through. I slowly reach behind me, turning my head in the slightest to grab the scissors that were luckily laying on the countertop. 

 

I watch as the large form closes the frame part way and rolls their shoulders. I can tell it’s a man, but why’d he have to choose my apartment to break into? Dark shadows are cast around him and since my eyes aren’t completely adjusted to the dark, I can’t see him very clearly.  A moment later, I see him start to turn towards me and I quickly move to press my back against the wall near the entrance of the kitchen where I’m not seen, my right hand gripping the handle of the scissors. 

 

My body tenses and I bite my lip as I hear the heavy footsteps begin to grow closer to me.  _ Shit, he saw me.  _  The intruder pauses before stepping into the kitchen, my somehow initial and not well thought out reaction leads to me attempting to shove the intruder against the wall and bring the rather sharp end of the scissors against the side of his neck. Before they touch his skin, he catches my wrist looking down at me.

 

_ “Kate, it’s me.”  _

 

I hear the recognizable low voice and my eyes look up at him as I immediately register the voice. Frank.

 

_ “Frank? What the hell are you doing here?” _

 

I exhale shakily as he gently releases my wrist, taking a step back to flip the light switch on in the kitchen, looking over to him as he squints his eyes as they adjust to the light.

 

“ _ Nice to see you too.  _ **_I’d like it if the next time we met you didn’t have pointy things so close to my face_ ** _.” _

 

I scoff at his sarcastic comment, running a hand down my face as my heart rate began to return to its normal speed. My eyes run over him, taking in his dark clothes and bruised face. I didn’t notice any large amounts of blood or any open wounds as my eyes look over his form. I set the scissors on the kitchen counter before walking past him to pick up my glass and take another drink. 

 

_ “What’re you doing here?” _

 

I say lowly, my green eyes barely focusing on him for a moment before I return my gaze to my partially filled glass. I hear his feet shuffle briefly before he leans his aching body against the wall with another groan. Contradictory to my own, his gaze is fixed on my expression. 

 

_ “You said come here when I needed help.” _

 

He stays silent after speaking and I raise a brow slightly as a way of saying _ really, that’s it? _ Okay, I’m probably being overdramatic here and I’m not really that mad at him, just at the fact he shows up at random times, leaving me not knowing when to expect an appearance. If I even should expect one.. I loved seeing him, god I loved having him around and being able to know he was safe, but his random and sporadic entrances into my life were getting to be too much. I was becoming annoyed with the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about him when he left the next morning and ever since he ended up on my fire escape those few months ago needing to be stitched up, we’d grown closer. 

 

I had hesitantly let this strange man into my apartment through my living room window while he had profuse amounts of blood dripping onto the hardwood floor of my apartment from the gash on his side. After managing to clean and stitch up the visible open wound and offering him a shower and something to eat, we had started talking pretty easily, him asking more about my life and me than sharing about his own. 

 

It took many future visits for me to learn about what type of danger Frank really gets into the nights he comes to my apartment bruised and bloody and what his life really used to be like. I knew everything from his time as a Marine to him losing his family and it broke my heart. I usually ended up offering him a place on my couch or my bed, which he always declined saying he couldn’t make me sleep on the couch, for however long he needed it just so I knew he was okay and partly because I liked having him around. He’d agree but would leave the next morning and when I asked him why he said he didn’t want to be more of a bother. He could never be a bother.

 

_ “You can’t keep showing up at these random times..” _

 

I finally answer, setting my glass on the countertop and walking out of the kitchen to the small bathroom. 

 

_ “You miss me or somethin’?”  _

 

I hear his voice follow as he walks with me to the bathroom, watching as I grab the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet. I can tell his tone is slightly teasing and I’m sure my cheeks are starting to become pink as I bite the corner of my lip to hide the smile starting to form. That was where we were at now. Playful, teasing comments towards each other, neither of us outright saying how the other feels.   _ No stop, you’re supposed to be mad at him, _ I tell myself.

 

_ “Just wanna know you’re alright, Frank. A visit now and then wouldn’t hurt.” _

 

I reply as he walks behind me and sits on the seat of the toilet, his head now level with my chest as I turn to face him. I set the first aid kit on his lap as he removes the black jacket he has on, following our routine. His hands then move to the neck of the black t-shirt he has on, wincing as he begins to pull it over his head. 

 

I take the shirt when he manages to remove it a second later, setting it on the counter behind me as my eyes start to travel across his face and jaw. My eyes start to wander down towards his broad shoulders and toned upper chest and abdomen before I remind myself for the second time tonight what I’m supposed to be doing.

 

_ “The more I come see you, the more danger I’m putting you in. I can’t have you getting hurt.” _

 

He replies after a moment, his voice gruff as his warm brown eyes carefully watch my movements as my fingers lightly brush against the side of his cheek where a dark bruise was beginning to appear.

 

_ “What if I said I didn’t care about that? That I could take care of myself and I wanted to see you anyways?” _

 

I was being indirect again, the only way I was able to say how I was really feeling without chickening out. I had a pretty good idea he knew exactly what I meant, it wasn’t like he hadn’t sent similar comments my direction before.  My eyes completely avoid the focused gaze he has on me, as I get to work at cleaning his face and the cuts around his face and shoulders.

 

_ “That right?” _

 

He answers with a small smirk, gently taking my wrist in his large hand as I bring a cotton pad towards a small cut on his jaw, in hopes I would finally look at him. He leans his head down slightly to look up at my face that I had tilted towards the floor near his boot-clad feet.

 

_ “I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.” _

 

I answer defensively, my eyes looking to the corner of the wall as I avoid his gaze. I shut my eyes for a moment and exhaling slowly. I open them and give my real answer. 

 

_ “Of course it is..”  _

 

I say quietly as I finally look over to him. My eyes look into his for a moment before he sets the first aid kit on the tile near his feet and gently tugs me forward to stand between his legs he spread apart. I’m standing much closer to him as he moves his hands from my wrist to rest on my sides. My heart rate starts to speed up and I can feel the warmth his hands provide through the thin material of my nightshirt against my skin.

 

_ “I care about you too, you know. And it’s getting harder every time I come see you and leave the next day. I wanna stay here with you, Kate. I like coming back and having someone be there... I haven’t had that in a while…” _

 

His voice becomes quieter as he trails off and I drop the partially used cotton pad in the trash near me. At that moment I get it and drop any defensiveness I had. He just wants me safe. I cup his face gently, brushing my lips against the side of his bruised nose. 

 

_ “You’ve got me. I’ll always be here and you’re always welcome here. Just let me know you’re okay so I can stop worrying about you every night..” _

 

I smile softly, leaning my forehead against his he had tilted up towards me.

 

_ “You’d worry anyway.” _

 

He replies with a small grin, running his hand along my arm as I turn around to run a washcloth under the warm water from the sink. I squeeze the water from the cloth and face him again.

 

_ “You so confident that you know that?” _

 

I bite the corner of my lip as I smirk, trying to focus on what I was doing rather than get distracted by him and his damn pretty face even though it was all bruised up. I run the cloth across his forehead, nose, cheeks, and down his neck. I pick up the kit off the ground and close it after setting the washcloth to the side for laundry.

 

My back’s turned to him as I place the kit in the cabinet that I don’t even notice him get up and move to stand directly behind me. He leans down to gently kiss my cheek and my eyes flutter shut as his lips brush my cheek. He’s totally got me right now, but I decide to push those thoughts away along with my frustration and enjoy the moment. I slowly turn my body to face him, my eyes looking up at him now that he’s standing almost against me.

 

_ “I’m pretty confident.” _

 

He says quietly, before slowly leaning down and gently pressing his lips to mine. I’m definitely blushing now as my eyes fall shut and my hands rest on his sides as his move to cup my face. I run my tongue along his lower lip as his body gently pushes me back against the sink. I pull back a moment later, biting my lip as I smile and look up at him. 

 

_ “I am sorry.” _

 

He says finally and I can tell as he looks down at me that he means it. I nod, leaning up on my toes to peck his lips before grabbing his bloodied shirt and jacket from the floor. 

 

_ “I know. Go shower, I’ll put these in the wash.” _

 

I say as I turn to leave the bathroom, but I catch a glimpse of the look he’s now giving me. He’s feigning puppy dog eyes. I raise a brow, a smirk on my lips as I look at him. If it were up to me I would’ve ignored all responsibilities; just drop the clothes I have in my hands, forget the book I was editing and join him, god did I want to.. But the reasonable side of me took over and I sighed.

 

_ “Next time.” _

 

I tell him, grinning as I walk out of the bathroom and turn to close the door behind me.

 

_ “You sure?” _

 

I hear him say with a small laugh and I start to see him unbutton his dark pants. I shut the door quickly before I can think otherwise.

 

_ “Nope.” _

 

I call back from the other side of the door with a laugh, walking away from the bathroom to put the clothes in the wash.


End file.
